May 1, 1895. |
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
a million and a half sterling, on an average that, and, as he was unsuccessful in his of last year's exchange. No distinction is scheme of abolishing the Sanitary Board made in the returns between refined and raw outright, is trying by indirect means to render sugar, but Mr. H. KOPSCH, the Statistical its continued existence impossible. A few Secretary of the Customs, in his report weeks ago Sir WILLIAM, in consequence of says:-
The sugar which appears in the the firmness he displayed in the suppression import table for 1,823,000 piculs is largely of the coolie strike, stood on the pinnacle of the product of Hongkong refineries (and public favour; to-day his action in another "originally of Chinese provenance), for which matter not less important is universally con- "commodity there seems to be an ever-demned and instead of a disinterested and increasing demand, the deliveries daring self-denying devotion to the public welfare "the year exceeding the importation of he is credited with something very different. "1893 by 270,000 piculs." With the further We are not concerned at present to examine opening up of China now about to take the psychological problem presented by a place this ever-increasing demand will grow man who will do such yeoman's service for still more rapidly. In view of the possibili- the colony one day and attempt to kick it ties of the China market and the natural over a precipice the next; but we must per advantages the Hongkong refineries possess force resist the kicking. for competition with the refineries to be established in Japan, the imposition of the higher rate of duty in the latter country which has been agreed upon may be looked upon as little more than a fleabite.
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SANITARY BOARD
323
THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE SANI- TARY BOARD ON THE INIQUI-
TIES OF LANDLORDS.
At the meeting of the Sanitary Board on Thursday MR. F. H. MAY made some very outspoken remarks on the neglect of land. lords to comply with sanitary laws, and also made reference to the recent attacks on the Board. MR. F. H. MAY is nominally the Vice-President of the Board, but for a good many months past has been virtually the President, the Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCK- HART, the real President, having abstained from exercising the functions of that office since shortly after he took charge of the Colonial Secretary's department. MR. MAY goes on leave on the 1st May and his speech was in the nature of a valedictory address. In attempting to justify the position In bidding farewell to the Board he given to Surgeon-Major WESTCOTT the said he might probably never see it again. Colonial Se- We do not know the precise meaning to be Governor, through the cretary, says it is rendered necessary by attached to that remark, but if it is that Mr. "the dual control that exists over sani- MAY anticipates a transfer to some other tary matters in this colony." Now, that colony it will occasion regret, for he has dual control is precisely the thing that it is proved himself a capable and energetic desirable to get rid of; the Sanitary Board officer, afraid neither of hard work nor of should be entrusted with the sole con- responsibility, and his services in combatting The reply of the Government to the repre-ment is made with the object of perpe- to an end are worthy of substantial recogni- trol. Surgeon-Major WESTCOTT's appoint- the plague and in bringing the recent strike sentations of the Sanitary Board on the ap-tuating the dual control and on that tion. That he is not a popularity hunter pointment of the Medical Official of Health ground is to be condemned. Then it is sail was shown by the tenour of his remarks on will be found in another column. It is weak that on military grounds it is not considered Thursday, which might be calculated in some and shuffling, contains a flagrant suggestio practicable to place Surgeon-Major WEST- quarters to excite hostility. Having effec falsi, and within its own four corners affords, COTT in the same position as that held by an tively replied to the attack made upon the Officer of Health in relation to the Board of Board by the Committee of the Chamber contrary to the intention of the Government, Health in a d strict in England. This is the of Commerce, he proceeded to turn the the fullest possible justification of the action portion of the letter to which we have tables on the landlords. Did those gentle- carry out their duty, taken by the unofficial members of the referred above as containing a suggestio falsi.men, he asked, Board in resigning their seats. The endow. We are informed on excellent authority that and he proceeded to answer the ques ment of the Medical Officer of Health with Surgeon-Major WESTCOTT himself had no tiou very strongly in the negative. An powers independent of the Board must be objection whatever to being appointed an Ordinance was passed last December aimed officer of the Board and that in fact he ex- at the prevention of the recurrence of plague read in conjunction with the Governor's pected that his appointment would take that in the colony, but practically nothing has declaration of his policy in the Legisla-form; and, further, that Surgeon-Colonel been done under it, Mr. MAY says, because tive Council on the 28th November PRESTON, the Principal Medical Officer of there has been no assistance or co-operation last, when
no objection to from the landed class. The landlords have His Excellency
expressed the Garrison, also
Surgeon.Major WESTCOTT's holding such not, with the exception of the Land Invest- the opinion that all sanitary arrange an appointment. But we do not require to ment Co., done anything towards preventing ments should be placed in the hands of one have it authoritatively stated that there is overcrowding, nothing has yet been done to- officer who should be personally responsible no such objection, for it is self-evident that wards covering the ground surface of dwell- to the Government for all matters connected there cannot be. To ask the community to beings with impervious material, although the with the health of the colony and for carry-lieve that there can be any military objection work should be completed before the 1st ing out all sanitary laws and regulations, and to Surgeon-Major WESTCOTT taking his in July next," and although the occupation of structions from the Sanitary Board and mak- basements abutting against the soil bas that the Sanitary Board was incompetent to ing his reports to that body instead of to the become illegal since the 1st April there between a hundred and fifty and control and direct the staff required to carry Government is to ask it to believe a palpable are out and supervise the sanitation of the colony. absurdity. As to the question of personal two hundred of them in occupation at The landlords, Mr. Accordingly Surgeon-Major WESTCOTT has dignity, the appointment of Officer of Health the present time.
are drawing their rents from the been appointed Medical Officer of Health in the rural and urban sanitary districts in MAY says,
"wretched people who are inhabiting these with powers entirely independent of the England is much sought after by men of Board and with the obvious intention of ul-high standing in the medical profession and hovels, which the Board would not license timately superseding it and rendering it a is held in high esteem, and cases of collision "to keep pigs in. The landlords must be nullity. As to the relative merits of the between the officer and the sanitary authority fully aware that they are breaking the law one man system and the representative are so rare as to be practically unknown. "in receiving rents from their tenants, but "not an effort, not one single step, has been system, so far as sanitation is concerned the It is idle to talk of loyal co-operation be-
"taken to rid these disgusting hovels of former has no merits at all, being in fact en tween Surgeon-Major WESTCOTT and the
their inhabitants." Landlords are also tirely incompatible with sanitary progress. Sanitary Board, as mentioned in the last Successful sanitation requires that the best paragraph of the letter, when the appoint charged with neglecting to comply with the available medical knowledge and the best ment is confessedly made with the object of law as regards mezzanine floors and cubicles. a serious indictment. Mr. MAY available engineering knowledge should be perpetuating the disastrous system of "dual This
intimates that applied by a body of men who possess "control that exists over sanitary matters
the police, who ought to be otherwise engaged, will shortly be conjointly greater familiarity than any one and of administering a slap in the face to of them individually could possess with the the Sanitary Board. The question now is, busy going round summoning landlords social customs of the people, the drift of public what is to be done by the community in sup. for breaches of the law. It is to be hoped the opinion, the practical possibility of en- port of the action taken by their representa- landlords, European landlords especially,
We on the Board ? forcing regulations that may seem desirable tives
only will not wait for that, but will proceed to. on abstract grounds, and the financial consi-repeat our previous suggestion that a me- set their houses in order, for it would be derations that enter into the calculation. In morial should be addressed to the Secretary humiliating to see a number of our best no one man will be found all the qualifications of State on the subject. There can be no known residents haled to the Police Court requisite for the sanitation of a large town. doubt that such a memorial would have the to answer for offences against laws of whose So fully is this recognised that everywhere desired result But it is necessary that privisions they are perfectly well aware. throughout the whole empire representative some one should take the initiative in pro- We cannot think, however, that it is sheer bodies have been created for the purpose, moting the memorial and the resigning obstinacy that deters the landlords from MR. MAY asks if even in Hongkong. Sir WILLIAM ROBIN- members are the men who should do so. complying with the law. SON, however, apparently thinking more of Having entered on this fight for the public the traditions of an official hierarcy than of welfare we trust they will not abandon it the public interest, wants to overturn alll until they have carried it to victory.
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it is any defence for a murderer to say, “Ob, "the police did not come and stop me com- mitting that murder." But an analogy can
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